Political newcomer Sean Bowie is headed for victory over Republican Frank Schmuck, providing Democrats with a rare win in an East Valley district that has long been a Republican stronghold at the Legislature.

As the election comes to a close, campaign finance documents filed with the Arizona Clean Elections Commission and the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office show that, with only one statewide race, outside spending is in state and legislative elections is way down from 2014.

The three-way race for LD18’s two House seats will feature the same players as 2014’s election: Democrat Mitzi Epstein is attempting to unseat one of the two Republican representatives, Bob Robson and Jill Norgaard.

LD18 is one of four races to watch that could shake up the balance of power in the Senate, along with LD8, where Democrats are fighting to keep one of their own in office, as well as LD6 and LD28, where they’re hoping for an upset in traditionally Republican districts.

Republican Frank Schmuck upset incumbent Sen. Jeff Dial in the Legislative District 18 Senate primary, capitalizing on a campaign mounted almost exclusively on Dial’s questionable status as an Army veteran.

As she was settling down to watch the first presidential debate of the election cycle on television, Tempe resident Billie Folsom, a registered independent voter, got a knock on her door, sending her dogs into a frenzy.

With only a few days left until voters head to the ballot box to decide the fate of Senate President Russell Pearce, a poll commissioned by the Arizona Capitol Times and ABC15 News shows the race is a dead heat.

Mesa Republican Jerry Lewis, who is seeking to unseat Pearce in the Nov. 8 recall election, is holding his own among fellow GOP voters, despite being heavily outspent by Pearce and his national fundraising prowess.

Lewis holds a 46-43 percent lead over Pearce in the historic recall contest, but the edge is within the poll’s margin of error.